ProjectCritical mineralsGoes tidewater

Grays Bay Road and Port

A proposed all-season road of about 230 km and a deep-water port at Grays Bay, Nunavut, to ship mineral concentrate, led by West Kitikmeot Resources. It was referred to the Major Projects Office in March 2026, received a C$50 million federal pre-construction grant in May 2026, and on 24 June 2026 Ottawa began the process to list it under the Building Canada Act. Three teams were shortlisted on 22 September 2026 for the roughly C$1 billion major-works contract (Kiewit; Ledcor/Bird; Samsung C&T/Webuild), with a preferred proponent expected in March 2027.

Status

Referred for fast-tracking

Direction

Tidewater: Reaches a coast, so Canada can sell to buyers other than the US.

Where

Nunavut

Needs new laws?

Yes: part of the second wave, waiting on fast-track laws

Owners

• West Kitikmeot Resources Corp. as of 12 March 2026

  Major Projects Office, “Grays Bay Road and Port (national project page)” (external site). source record

Events

• 22 September 2026Three teams shortlisted for the ~$1B Grays Bay major-works contract (Kiewit; Ledcor/Bird; Samsung C&T/Webuild)ActionContractNunavut2 sources
• 24 June 2026Ottawa starts the Building Canada Act listing process for Grays Bay Road and Port, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Deep Geological RepositoryDocumentRegulationCanada4 sources
• 20 May 2026Up to C$50M in federal funding for planning and pre-construction work on the Grays Bay Road and PortActionFinancingNunavut1 source
• 12 March 2026Grays Bay Road and Port referred to the Major Projects OfficeDocumentRegulationCanada3 sources
• 1 March 2026Grays Bay Road and Port impact statement submitted to the Nunavut Impact Review BoardDocumentRegulationNunavut1 source